Scotland gets ready for Panda-monium ahead of Earth Hour

Dawn Renton

The WWF is inviting everyone to join the world’s biggest celebration for the planet ahead of Earth Hour.

The conservation organisation’s cuddly mascot takes centre stage as the panda goes on a mission to visit as many people as possible in the run up to this year’s celebration on Saturday, March 19, 8.30pm.

As part of this year’s celebrations, hundreds of pandas will be travelling the country, each with a special message asking people to take a ‘panda selfie’ and share @wwf_uk together with #PassThePanda #EarthHourUK before passing the panda on to friends, family and colleagues.

Celebrities, politicians and even landmarks have all got involved in the campaign.

Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland said: “#PassThePanda is proving to be a huge hit as we build up to this year’s Earth Hour which is taking place on Saturday at 8.30pm.

“It’s great to see our black and white friends travelling the country and spreading the word about switching off your lights for an hour on March 19. Of course you can also #PassThePanda virtually to your followers on Twitter. I look forward to finding out just how far the panda as gone in the past month.”

First launched in Australia in 2007, WWF’s Earth Hour, has grown to become the world’s biggest environmental event, inspiring hundreds of millions of people across the world to take steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle. It encourages people to switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about the future of the planet.

Last year’s record-breaking event saw over 7,000 towns and cities across 154 countries take part along with the world’s most iconic landmarks.

Colin Butfield, WWF’s director of public engagement and campaigns, said: “Earth Hour has become well-known for striking images of iconic global landmarks the world over that have turned out their lights for the planet, but beyond the hour itself, it’s important to recognise that this campaign has grown into a powerful global movement for positive action.

To sign up and see what events are taking place near you, visit wwf.org